e free-and-easy expressions of Dr B., however,
which first broke the silence, instantly dissolved the spell. "That
woman," he said, pointing to her on the floor, "has a disease of the
liver, and her left lung is somewhat affected. I think we shall do her
good. She is now getting into the clairvoyant state. She can see into
the next room." He then stooped over her, and said, "How are you, Mary?"
She replied, "I have the pain in my side very bad." He approached his
hand to the part affected, and again withdrew it several times, opening
the fingers as it neared, and closing them as it receded, as though he
would gently extract the pain. He again asked her how she felt; she said
better. He then pointed to the girl on the sofa, and said, "She is deaf
and dumb. We cannot get her asleep." He subsequently pointed out other
of the patients, and mentioned their ailments. These, and the sombre
darkness of the room, accounted to us for the unnatural paleness of the
patients. Dr B. next asked one of two sleeping patients to follow him
into another room. We accompanied him, and his experiments upon the
female, whom we shall call S., commenced. First of all, he placed her
hands with the palms together, and making with his fingers motions the
converse of those made in the former case, asked us to endeavour to
separate them. We did, and _instantly succeeded_, with no more effort
than would be expected were any woman of average strength purposely to
hold her hands together. "Ah!" said the Doctor, "not an easy matter, is
it?" We made no reply. He then walked, having on a pair of
loudly-creaking boots, to the other end of the room, and looked sternly
at the patient. She, after a second or two, followed him, and sat on the
same chair. He then said, "I willed her to come to me."

He next asked our friend to hold the patient's hands, and ask her a
question _mentally_, without expressing it.

After some little time she frowned, and endeavoured to withdraw her
hands.

_Dr._ "Ah, she does not like your question! Ask her another."

After some time she burst out into a fit of laughter.

_Dr._ "Ah, you have tickled her fancy now!"

What the question asked by our friend was, did not transpire. This
experiment having been so successful, we were asked to do the same. Not
without a feeling of shame we complied; and, taking hold of the
patient's hands, we mentally asked her the question--"Are you single or
married?" which question did not appear t